Building blocks connectable in slideable or non-slideable relationship



N 3 1965 s. G- GOSS m BUILDING BLOCKS CONNECTABLE IN SLIDEABLE ORNON-SLIDEABLE RELATIONSHIP Filed July 2, 1962 INVENTOR. SAMuE-L G. GossHI United States Patent 3,220,141 BUILDING BLOCKS CONNECTABLE IN SLIDE-ABLE 0R NON-SLIDEABLE RELATIONSHIP Samuel G. Goss III, Lake Forest,Ill., assignor to Halsam Products Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporationof Illinois Filed .Iuly 2, 1962, Ser. No. 206,754 4 Claims. (Cl. 46-25)The present invention relates generally to childrens toys and, moreparticularly, to a set of improved construction blocks with which theusers of all ages may build numerous entertaining configurations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a toy which is moreinteresting and fun than conventional building blocks.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a set ofimproved blocks of rugged plastic construction which may be easily andquickly assembled, with only a minimum of manual dexterity, into a widevariety of entertaining forms.

It is a further object to provide an improved set of building blockswhich practically fall together, while providing sufficient engagementto prevent relative sliding movement without the necessity of speciallocking structures.

It is a related object to provide such a set wherein the pieces areinterfitted without pressing or otherwise interlocking them and,accordingly, any piece or combination thereof may be quickly rearrangedto form other configurations by simply separating them and reassemblingthem in the desired fashion.

It is still another object to provide an improved set of mating piecesof the type described which are exceptionally economical from thestandpoint of manufacturing, in that each piece is formed in hollowsections and assembled prior to use, therefore permitting use of lessexpensive fabrication procedures and effecting a saving in materialcosts, while at the same time providing a toy which will withstand therough usage which will be expected of it.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements, anddevices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out theabove-stated objects and such other objects as will be apparent from thefollowing description of an exemplary form of the invention illustratedwith respect to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of an exemplary assembly embodying the presentinvention, shown in a disassembled state;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of FIG. 1 assembled into a usable piece whichconstitutes one of a set of such pieces;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the FIG. 1 assembly taken from an anglewhich more clearly illustrates its lower face;

FIG. 4 is a section viewed along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a section viewed along line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a section viewed along line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a section viewed along line 77 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views showing the construction of anassembly which is dimensionally longer than that of FIG. 1, and whichwould be included in a set of pieces of complementary construction; and

FIG. 10 illustrates one manner in which pieces, such as those indicatedin FIGS. 1 and 8, may be assembled.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments have beenshown in the drawings and will be described below in considerabledetail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention tolimit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but, on thecontrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alterna-3,220,141 Patented Nov. 30, 1965 tive constructions, and equivalentsfalling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein the invention is shown in itspreferred form embodied in modular blocks, such as those indicated at 10and 11, such blocks would be included in and sold as a group or setcomprising anywhere from 27 to over 100 pieces. Block 10 differsdimensionally from block 11 in its length only, and it is contemplatedthat pieces of varying length would also be included in the set-althoughonly two such pieces are here shown. A typical block is rectangular andhas a major or longitudinal axis AA and a minor or transverse axis B-Bat 'to the major axis, and each is generally symmetrical in the plane ofits axes.

In keeping with one aspect of the invention, each piece is constructedof a pair of rugged plastic cuplike halves or members which, forconvenience of description, may be referred to as the male member 12 andthe female member 14. Each member is conveniently constructed of plasticformed to present a face having perpendicular peripheral sidewalls,thereby providing a hollow structure having a relatively uniform wallthickness which may be varied to provide necessary strength. The malemember 12 has a face 16 with a depending skirt composed of peripherallydisposed sidewalls 17 along the longitudinal sides thereof, and end wallmembers 18 at the ends. Similarly, the female member 14 has a face 21flanked by perpendicular wall members 22 along its longitudinal edges,and members 23 at its ends. Each longitudinal wall member 17 on the malehalf 12 is provided with a tongue 25 formed as a part of the inner edgeof the wall which projects downwardly therefrom. The tongues 25 areadapted to be received between the walls 22 of the female half 14 andare so dimensioned as to provide a gripping pressure on the inside ofthe walls 22 so as to hold the halves together, once assembled, to forma single hollow block, such as block 10 or 11, having faces 16 and 21disposed on either side of the block. A set of blocks may be sold in acontainer and would comprise a convenient number of halves which wouldbe assembled in the manner described to form a group of pieces prior toplaying with them.

As will appear, each face is specially formed to provide the advantagesenumerated above. The face 16, for example, is formed with an upstandingridgelike projection 27 which is centrally disposed on the face andextends the length of the piece. The ridge is approximately half as wideas the face. The ridge itself is notched to a depth approximating halfthe height of the ridge. The notches are equally spaced and runtransversely of the length of the ridge giving it the appearance ofhaving a plurality of spaced raised portions 28 resembling truncatedteeth similar to those found on a rack and pinion arrangement. Piece 10,as representative of the smaller pieces in a set, has only oneprojection 28, and the number of projections increases in proportion toincrease in length, as will appear upon examining piece 11. The distancebetween adjacent projections (indicated as dimension 31), isconveniently greater than the dimension of a single projection(indicated at 32) along the same axis AA.

The face 21 of the female half 14 is formed so as to be complementarywith the face 16 in order that it may be interfitted with the face 16 ofan associated block.

To this end, parallel ridges 35 and 36 project from the face 21. Theridges extend the length of the piece and are disposed on the peripheryof the face flush with the depending sidewalls, and together define achannel 37. As in the case of the ridge 27, ridges 35 and 36 arenotched, thus giving the appearance of having spaced toothlikeprojections 38 thereon. The projections on 3 ridges 35 and 36 areparallel and equal in length to the length of the teeth 28 along theaxis A--A, and are likewise laterally spaced a distance slightly greaterthan the width of the ridge 27 along axis BB.

Each block is dimensioned so as to be interfitted with like pieces in avariety of ways. Thus, the width of the central ridge, indicated at 33,is slightly less than the width of the channel 37, and the height ofeach of the ridges 27, 35, and 36 is the same.

The notches in the ridges 27, 35, and 36 each have a depth approximatelyequal to one-half the height of the ridges, and the width thereof isapproximately the same as ridge 27. Thus, with each face havingcomplementary dimensions, associated blocks may be placed in registerwith the axes AA of the associated pieces either parallel or transverse,as indicated below.

In keeping with the invention, the pieces may be interfitted so as topermit or preclude relative motion, as desired. For instance, when theaxes AA of associated pieces are aligned, and face 16 is in slidingregister with face 21 of an associated piece, the ridge 27 will slide inthe space between ridges 35 and 36 and relative movement isachievedpermitting structures with movable as well as fixed parts. In alike manner, if the major axes AA are transversely aligned, the teeth ofthe respective ridges will be in interfitting register so as to precluderelative movement and provide laterally rigid structure.

Thus, each piece is so constructed and dimensioned that it may beinterfitted with associated pieces of a set merely by placing one uponthe other so as to build or form structures like that shown in FIG. 10.In fact, the combinations of interesting configurations are limited onlyby the pieces available for use. It will be appreciated that there is noforce of any kind, twisting, bending, inserting, latching, orinterlocking, or other motion required to interfit associated pieces.Accordingly, only a minimum of manual dexterity is required tomanipulate the pieces which virtually fall together to form any numberof interesting configurations. As a result, a set of pieces formed inaccordance with the invention may be played with by children of tenderyears, while still providing sufficient fascination to entertain olderchildren.

I claim:

1. A set of hollow, plastic interfitting block-like pieces, each of saidpieces being formed with a first face having a longitudinal ridgecentrally disposed thereon, a second face opposite said first face onsaid piece, a pair of spaced longitudinal ridges thereon defining achannel with said second face, all of said ridges being transverselynotched to a depth less than the height of said ridges, so that when twoof said pieces are interfitted such that a first face of one piece and asecond face of another piece are in ridge-in-channel register, relativehorizontal movement therebetween is permitted and when said pieces areinterfitted so that the ridge on said first face and said channel areplaced in transverse register, relative movement between said pieces inany horizontal direction is precluded.

2. A set of modular, hollow, plastic toy blocks, each of said blockscomprising, in combination, detachably connected upper and lowerportions defining upper and lower faces, the upper face having a centralridge extending the length thereof, said ridge being transverselynotched to a depth less than the height of the said ridge at spacedintervals along its length, said lower face having a pair of spacedlateral ridges defining a central channel therebetween, the lateralridges being transversely notched to a depth less than the height ofsaid lateral ridges so that when another block of said set is placed inridge-in-channel register with said block relative slidable movement inthe horizontal plane is permitted and so that when said other block isplaced in notch-in-notch register with said block relative slidingmovement in the horizontal plane is precluded.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein one of said portions includestongues extending along opposed longi tudinal edges thereof, the otherof said portions having tongue-receiving recesses along itscorresponding longi tudinal edges to accommodate said tongues when theupper and lower portions are in register with one another, the sidewalls of said tongues snugly engaging the corresponding side walls ofthe registering recesses so that said portions remain in grippingengagement to permit handling as unitary block.

4. A pair of hollow, plastic blocks adapted to be interfitted to formboth laterally rigid and movable combinations, one block of said pairhaving a face portion with parallel ridges on said face portion defininga channel running longitudinally of the block, the other block of saidpair having a centrally disposed upstanding ridge extendinglongitudinally of the block and dimensioned to be received in saidchannel for relative sliding movement when the ridge and channel areinterfitted in axial alinement, each of said ridges being formed withuniformly spaced transverse notches, said notches having a depth lessthan the height of said ridges so that ridge-in-channel register betweensaid blocks permits relative slidable movement and notch-in-notchregister of said blocks precludes relative sliding movement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,009,469 11/1911 Burrowes 4625 1,130,324 3/1915 Owen 46-25 X 2,565,823 8/1951 Pool46--25 2,911,818 11/1959 Smith 50453 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

1. A SET OF HOLLOW, PLASTIC INTERFITTING BLOCK-LIKE PIECES, EACH OF SAIDPIECES BEING FORMED WITH A FIRST FACE HAVING A LONGITUDINAL RIDGECENTRALLY DISPOSED THEREON, A SECOND FACE OPPOSITE SAID FIRST FACE ONSAID PIECE, A PAIR OF SPACED LONGITUDINAL RIDGES THEREON DEFINING ACHANNEL WITH SAID SECOND FACE, ALL OF SAID RIDGES BEING TRANSVERSELYNOTCHED TO A DEPTH LESS THAN THE HEIGHT OF SAID RIDGES, SO THAT WHEN TWOOF SAID PIECES ARE INTERFITTED SUCH THAT A FIRST FACE OF ONE PIECE AND ASECOND FACE OF ANOTHER PIECE ARE IN RIDGE-IN-CHANNEL REGISTER, RELATIVEHORIZONTAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN IS PERMITTED AND WHEN SAID PIECES AREINTERFITTED SO THAT THE RIDGE ON SAID FIRST FACE AND SAID CHANNEL AREPLACED IN TRANSVERSE REGISTER, RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID PIECES INANY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION IS PRECLUDED.